Cameroon has become one of the top destinations for the harshly criticized “flags of convenience” system, which allows businesses to register their ships in another country for a charge even though there is no connection between the ship and the country whose flag they fly. The ships are expected to follow the nation’s international fishing treaties. However, according to experts, countries with open registries like Cameroon offer insufficient control and enforcement of fishing fleets, giving shipping businesses a shroud of secrecy through which they can conceal their operations. Regulators in Europe recently issued a warning to the nation that failing to control its fishing fleet could result in a ban on fish from that nation.
